Just How Great is A-Rod's April?
Alex Rodriguez Is Having The Best Opening Month in Baseball History
April is the cruelest month, or so wrote T.S. Eliot. For an embattled New York Yankee, however, April has been the most forgiving 30 days on the entire calendar.
So, just how good has Alex Rodriguez been this April? Pretty good. Pretty damn good. So far, in just 18 games, A-Rod has hit 14 Home Runs, 34 RBI, and scored 26 Runs. He's batting .400 with a slugging percentage of 1.053. A-Rod has also collected 79 Total Bases. He's playing so well that the media has forgotten about his allegedly "cool" relationship with Derek Jeter. He's playing so well that the fans have stopped booing and started cheering. He's playing so well that maybe, just maybe, he could lead the New York Yankees to the championship season that he must deliver in 2007.
To see projections for A-Rod's 2007 MLB season and A-Rod's home run pace, click here.
All of these numbers, and all of this hype beg the question. Where do A-Rod's statistics rank in the history of great Aprils?
Best April Statistics
Batting Average: Moises Alou hit .500 in April of 2001. A-Rod would need to hit over .700 for the rest of the month to get his average to that point. The way he's playing, however, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility.
April Home Run Record: Rodriguez has already hit 14 homers, which ties the record set by Albert Pujols in April, 2006. Right now, A-Rod is hitting a home run every 5.4 at-bats. With 6 games remaining in the month, he should get approximately 25 more at-bats. At that pace, A-Rod will shatter the current mark.
Most RBI in April: 35 by Juan Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers in 1998. That means Rodriguez needs only one more RBI in 25 at bats. He'll get there even if Joe Torre replaces Damon, Jeter and Abreu in the lienup with Jim Mason, Otto Velez and Walt "No Neck" Williams. In other words, A-Rod will break this record, too.
Most Runs Scored in April: Albert Pujols scored 27 runs last April. A-Rod already has 26 Runs, and will therefore shatter this record easily in the next week.
Slugging Percentage: Barry Bonds slugged 1.132 in April of 2004. A-Rod, who is currently at 1.053, has got a very, very good shot.
All Time Monthly Records
Most Home Runs: Sammy Sosa hit 20 home runs in June of 1998. Folks who question the validity of Sosa's records can look to the 18 blasts hit by Rudy York in August, 1937. If Rodriguez stays on pace, he will surely break York's mark, and has an outside chance to reach Sosa's record.
Most RBI: Joe DiMaggio had 53 RBI in the month of August, 1939. Fifty-three freaking RBI. With six games to go, A-Rod had 34 Runs Batted In. It would take a slugging barrage never seen in the history of the game for Alex to move ahead of Joltin' Joe. That probably won't happen.
Most Runs Scored: In July of 1996, A-Rod himself scored 35 Runs, setting the modern record. He needs 9 more to tie himself, and with six games left, he still has an outside chance.
Batting Average: Todd Helton hit .512 in May of 2000. again, it's not impossible, but it is highly unlikely that the pinstriped warrior will equal this mark.
Slugging Percentage: Barry's 1.132 in April of 2004 is also the all-time monthly record. At this point, there is no telling what A-Rod can do in the next week. It should be very close.
Looking Forward
This week, A-Rod will face Scott Kazmir, A.J. Burnett, Josh Towers and Dice K. He's only hit a combined .192 against this foursome, which may not bode well for the slugger's batting average. However, he has hit 4 home runs and driven in 10 RBI in just 47 career at-bats against these starters, so it is almost a lock that Alex Rodriguez will surpass all of the April power records before the end of the week.
Whether or not Rodriguez breaks all of these records remains to be seen. However, even if he produces at only half the rate he has up to this point, A-Rod will still end up with the best April in baseball history.
Heck, even if he goes 0 for his next 25, Rodriguez is still the American League Player of the Month. By a mile.
Projecting it Out - Just for Fun
If the heavens should open up and the messiah comes down to earth and pours holy water over the head of Alex Rodriguez, then maybe he will be able to keep this going. However, neither one of those things is going to happen, so folks should expect A-Rod to have a great, and maybe even an historic season. But don't expect miracles. Ah, the hell with it; expect miracles. If Alex Rodriguez maintains his current pace for an entire 162 game 2007 season, he will bat .400 with 126 Home Runs, 306 RBI, and 234 Runs Scored. Rodriguez would also have 270 Hits, a .477 On Base Percentage, and a 1.033 Slugging Percentage.
It will never happen, but it's nice to imagine.
___________________
Check out the preview for 2007 New York Yankees and other MLB teams by clicking here.
